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81-578: The castle's plan, a circular floor with round towers attached to it somewhat like the Herodion , a 15 BCE hilltop palace in the West Bank , that was also circular and had a large principal tower and three minor towers as well. They are attached while the principal one is coupled to the complex by a high bridge over the surrounding moat . The Castle has clear Islamic influences in its original design, displaying double Arches characteristic of Moorish architecture ,

162-627: A comprehensive collection of books about the Balearic Islands, consisting of 7 volumes. It took him 22 years to complete. Nowadays, several streets or buildings on the island are named after him (i.e., Arxiduc Lluís Salvador ). The Polish composer and pianist Frédéric Chopin , together with French writer Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin (pseudonym: George Sand ), resided in Valldemossa in the winter of 1838–39. Apparently, Chopin's health had already deteriorated and his doctor recommended that he go to

243-512: A high number of expats choosing to settle down in the area, Mallorca has recently also become a business hub economy of its own, due to a high number of particularly foreign enterprises choosing to either relocate, or expand, to the island. Attempts to build illegally caused a scandal in 2006 in Port Andratx that the newspaper El País named "caso Andratx". A main reason for illegal building permits, corruption and black market construction

324-525: A landscape characterised by a series of mountain ranges. The highest peak, Puig Major , stands at approximately 1,445 meters (4,741 feet) above sea level. Other notable peaks include Puig de Massanella , Puig Tomir , Puig de l'Ofre , and Puig des Teix , all exceeding 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) in elevation. These mountains are part of the Serra de Tramuntana range with numerous peaks over 1,000 meters, offering opportunities for hiking and exploration with views of

405-458: A part of the fortification was built by architect Pere Salvà , who also worked in the construction of the Royal Palace of La Almudaina , together with other master masons between 1300 and 1311 for King James II of Aragon and Majorca. Rock from the hill where the castle sits was used for the building, which has eventually led to the appearance of cracks. Once the castle had been built, and following

486-524: A political prison, used to lock up several important supporters of the subsequent Habsburg pretenders to the Spanish throne during the 19th century, and later notable republican and Catalanist leaders during the 20th century, including Alexandre Jaume , Member of the Parliament who first won the castle for the city, and Emili Darder , who was the mayor of the city, both subsequently shot. Having been founded as

567-703: A relationship with Chopin , described her stay in Mallorca in A Winter in Majorca , published in 1855. Other famous writers used Mallorca as the setting for their works. While on the island, the Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío started writing the novel El oro de Mallorca , and wrote several poems, such as La isla de oro . The poet Miquel Costa i Llobera wrote in 1875 his famous ode, the Pine of Formentor , as well as other poems concerning old Mallorcan traditions and fantasies. Many of

648-592: A residence for viceroys during the 17th century. As a fortification, it suffered and successfully resisted two sieges during the Middle Ages ; the first of them in 1343, during Peter IV of Aragon 's campaign to reincorporate the Majorcan territories to the Crown of Aragon , and then again in 1391 during an anti-semitic peasant revolt. The castle has only fallen once in its history into enemy hands, in 1521 after an assault during

729-474: A seat for the royal court of James of Mallorca, its structure combines the needs of a palace with defensive elements. The most notable feature in its structure is its circular shape, unique in Mallorca . Both its surrounding wall and the inner yard are so-shaped, and so are the three minor towers and the donjon. A moat is found surrounding the castle and its donjon. The circular inner yard must be highlighted. It has

810-418: A way as to be worth seeing, among other things because of the way in which water, which is lacking in that place, is brought in from a distance and at great expense. The surrounding plain was built up as a city second to none, with the hill serving as an acropolis for the other dwellings. Archaeologists believe that the palace was designed by architects and built by slaves and paid workers (contractors). Herod

891-484: A well in the middle of it, which indicates there is a cistern underneath. The palace itself is structured as a two-story building around the central yard. All its dependencies face this yard through a gallery of gothic semi-circular arches. In 1931, the Spanish Second Republic gave the castle to the city of Palma, along with the forest surrounding it. It became a museum in 1932, being restored in 1976 to become

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972-839: Is " La Balanguera ". Like the other Balearic Islands of Menorca , Ibiza , and Formentera , the island is a highly popular holiday destination, particularly for tourists from the Netherlands , Germany , and the United Kingdom . The international airport, Palma de Mallorca Airport , is one of the busiest in Spain; it was used by 28 million passengers in 2017, with use increasing every year between 2012 and 2017. The name derives from Classical Latin insula maior , "larger island". Later, in Medieval Latin , this became Maiorca , "the larger one", in comparison to Menorca , "the smaller one". This

1053-747: Is followed by the Modern Arabic ( Arabic : هيروديون ) and the Modern Hebrew ( Herodion Hebrew : הרודיון ). The name Herodis ( Hebrew : הרודיס ) was found in the 1960s inscribed in one of the Bar Kokhba letters recovered from the Muraba’at Caves in the Judaean desert, and is thought to represent the original Hebrew name for the site. In 40 BCE, after the Parthian conquest of Syria, Herod fled to Masada . On

1134-484: Is golden and very thin. The Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. The island (including the small offshore islands of Cabrera and Dragonera) is administratively divided into 53 municipalities. The areas and populations of the municipalities (according to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística , Spain) are: Mallorca is the most populous island in

1215-792: Is in Area C of the West Bank , formally under the jurisdiction of the Israeli Civil Administration , a body of military officers, and in practice it is administered jointly with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority . Israel asserts that it is entitled to work in the area under the Oslo Accords , but the Palestinian authorities say Israel has no right to undertake digs there or remove artifacts that Israel discovered in excavations there. Herodium

1296-441: Is naturally strong and very suitable for such a structure, for reasonably nearby is a hill, raised to a (greater) height by the hand of man and rounded off in the shape of a breast. At intervals it has round towers, and it has a steep ascent formed of two hundred steps of hewn stone. Within it are costly royal apartments made for security and for ornament at the same time. At the base of the hill there are pleasure grounds built in such

1377-480: Is rugged and has many cliffs. The central zone, extending from Palma, is a generally flat, fertile plain known as Es Pla . The island has a variety of caves both above and below the sea – two of the caves, the above sea level Coves dels Hams and the Coves del Drach , also contain underground lakes and are open to tours. Both are located near the eastern coastal town of Porto Cristo . Small uninhabited islands lie off

1458-409: Is that communities have few ways to finance themselves other than through permits. The former mayor was incarcerated in 2009 after being prosecuted for taking bribes to permit illegal house building. Data from Institute of Statistics of Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands, of which Mallorca forms part, are one of the autonomous communities of Spain . As a whole , they are currently governed by

1539-617: Is the following: The Phoenicians , a seafaring people from the Levant , arrived around the eighth century BC and established numerous colonies. The island eventually came under the control of Carthage in North Africa, which had become the principal Phoenician city. After the Second Punic War , Carthage lost all of its overseas possessions and the Romans took over. The island was occupied by

1620-577: Is the largest of the Balearic Islands , which are part of Spain , and the seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . The capital of the island, Palma , is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Balearic Islands have been an autonomous region of Spain since 1983. There are two small islands off the coast of Mallorca: Cabrera (southeast of Palma) and Dragonera (west of Palma). The anthem of Mallorca

1701-611: Is the only site that is named after King Herod the Great. It was known by the Crusaders as the "Mountain of Franks". Palestinian locals historically called it Jabal al-Firdous or Jabal al-Fureidis ( Arabic : جبل فريديس , lit. "Mountain of the Little Paradise"); Edward Robinson in 1838 described it as "Frank Mountain", in reference to the Crusaders. In 1841, Edward Robinson 's identified

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1782-652: The Bourbon victory, Maulets (supporters of the Habsburg pretender). During the Spanish Independence War it was used to hold several prisoners captured at the Battle of Bailén and later, political prisoners, the most famous of these being the minister Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos (1802–1808) who first made a description of the castle and commissioned the first blueprints and drawings of it. The castle served from then on as

1863-665: The European Union , especially from Africa and South America. In September 2019, A 3,200-year-old well-preserved Bronze Age sword was discovered by archaeologists under the leadership of Jaume Deya and Pablo Galera on the Mallorca Island in the Puigpunyent from the stone megaliths site called Talaiot . Specialists assumed that the weapon was made when the Talaiotic culture was in critical decline. The sword will be on display at

1944-542: The Great Revolt started, Herodium was abandoned. The Jews eventually had a base at Herodium where they built a synagogue which can still be seen today, unlike much of Herod's Palace. The Roman bathhouse consisted of three areas, the caldarium , the tepidarium , and the frigidarium . It also had a very impressive dome which is still in good condition today despite thousands of years of earthquakes and wars. The caldarium had vaulted ceilings, raised floors, and channels in

2025-536: The Israel Museum featured finds from among some 30 tons of material transferred from the Herodium site back into Israel. The Palestinian National Authority protested, and Rula Maayah , the Palestinian tourism and antiquities minister said that according to international law Israelis have no right to excavate Herodium, which is in the occupied West Bank, or to take any antiquities from it. Palestinian officials compared

2106-659: The Mediterranean . While not towering in comparison to some mountain ranges globally, the Mallorcan mountains provide visitors with diverse outdoor experiences and panoramic views of the island's rugged terrain and coastline. Mallorca is the largest island of Spain by area and second most populated (after Tenerife in the Canary Islands ). Mallorca has two mountainous regions, the Serra de Tramuntana and Serres de Llevant. Both are about 70 km (43 mi) in length and occupy

2187-498: The Muslims improved agriculture with irrigation and developed local industries. The caliphate was dismembered in 1015. Mallorca came under rule by the Taifa of Dénia , and from 1087 to 1114, was an independent Taifa . During that period, the island was visited by Ibn Hazm . However, an expedition of Pisans and Catalans in 1114–15 , led by Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona , overran

2268-578: The People's Party of the Balearic Islands (PP), with Marga Prohens as their President. The specific government institution for the island is the Insular Council of Mallorca  [ ca ] commonly known as Council of Mallorca , created in 1978. It is responsible for culture, roads, railways (see Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca ) and municipal administration. As of September 2023, Llorenç Galmés  [ es ] ( PP ) serves as president of

2349-677: The Tethys Sea during the Mesozoic era. These marine deposits have given rise to calcareous rocks which are often fossiliferous . The folding of the Betic Cordillera and Mallorcan ranges resulted from subduction of the African Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate with eventual collision. Tectonic movements led to different elevation and lowering zones in the late Tertiary period, which is why

2430-476: The Balearic Islands and the second most populous island in Spain, after Tenerife , in the Canary Islands , being also the fourth most populous island in the Mediterranean after Sicily , Sardinia and Cyprus . It had a Census population of 920,605 inhabitants at the start of 2021, and an official estimate of 940,332 at the start of 2023. Since the 1950s, Mallorca has become a major tourist destination, and

2511-551: The Balearic Islands to recuperate, where he still spent a rather miserable winter. Nonetheless, his time in Mallorca was a productive period for Chopin. He managed to finish the Preludes , Op. 28, that he started writing in 1835. He was also able to undertake work on his Ballade No. 2 , Op. 38; two Polonaises, Op. 40; and the Scherzo No. 3 , Op. 39. French writer Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin (pseudonym: George Sand ), at that time in

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2592-586: The Balearic Islands, and in response, the people built coastal watchtowers and fortified churches. In 1570, King Philip II of Spain and his advisors were considering complete evacuation of the Balearic islands. In the early 18th century, the War of the Spanish Succession resulted in the replacement of that dynastic union with a unified Spanish monarchy under the rule of the new Bourbon Dynasty . The last episode of

2673-558: The Conqueror, launched an invasion which landed at Santa Ponça , Mallorca, on 8–9 September 1229 with Catalan forces consisting of 15,000 men and 1,500 horses. His forces entered the city of Medina Mayurqa on 31 December 1229. In 1230, he annexed the island to his Crown of Aragon under the name Regnum Maioricae . From 1479, the Crown of Aragon was in dynastic union with that of Castile . The Barbary corsairs of North Africa often attacked

2754-525: The Insular Council. Elections are held every four years concurrently with local elections . From 1983 to 2007, councilors were indirectly elected from the results of the election to Parliament of the Balearic Islands for the constituency of Mallorca . Since 2007, however, separate direct elections are held to elect the Council. Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria ( Catalan : Arxiduc Lluís Salvador )

2835-1511: The Jordanian Temporary Law no. 51, 1966, and the Oslo Accords. According to the provisions of the Oslo II Accord, archaeological issues of common interest would be handled by a joint Israeli–Palestinian committee. Few if any of these agreements have been implemented, and Palestinians have not been consulted or asked to collaborate in the work at the site. Mallorca [REDACTED]   Carthage 4th century BC– 201 BC [REDACTED]   Roman Republic 123 BC–27 BC [REDACTED]   Roman Empire 27 BC–455 Vandal Kingdom 455–534 Byzantine Empire 534–628 Umayyad state of Córdoba 903–1015 Taifa of Dénia 1015–1076 Taifa of Majorca 1076–1115 Almoravid Dynasty 1115–1158 Taifa of Majorca 1158–1203 [REDACTED] Almohad Dynasty 1203–1229 [REDACTED]   Crown of Aragon 1229–1276 [REDACTED]   Kingdom of Mallorca 1276–1343 [REDACTED]   Crown of Aragon 1343–1715 [REDACTED]   Kingdom of Spain 1715–1808 [REDACTED]   Kingdom of Spain 1813–1931 [REDACTED]   Second Spanish Republic 1931–1936 [REDACTED]   Spanish State 1936–1975/1982 [REDACTED]   Spain 1982–present [REDACTED] [REDACTED]   Balearic Islands 1983–present Mallorca , or Majorca ,

2916-426: The Little Paradise"') is an ancient fortress located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of Jerusalem and 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) southeast of Bethlehem . It is located between the villages of Beit Ta'mir , Za'atara and Jannatah . It is identified with the site of Herodium, built by King of Judea Herod the Great between 23 and 15 BCE. Herodium is 758 meters (2,487 ft) above sea level . The site

2997-574: The Majorcan second Revolt of the Brotherhoods . The castle was usually governed by a Lord Warden . In 1408, King Martin I of Aragon gave the lordship of Bellver to the Charterhouse of Jesus of Nazareth in Valldemossa . Charles of Viana arrived in 1459 to take possession of both the island and the castle, as he had agreed with his father King John II of Aragon , even though finally the King did not grant

3078-654: The Roman legions for their skill with the sling ( Balearic slingers ). In 427, Gunderic and the Vandals captured the island. Geiseric , son of Gunderic, governed Mallorca and used it as his base to loot and plunder settlements around the Mediterranean until Roman rule was restored in 465. In 534, Mallorca was recaptured from the Vandals by the Eastern Roman Empire , led by Apollinarius . Under Roman rule, Christianity thrived and numerous churches were built. From 707,

3159-489: The Romans in 123 BC under Quintus Caecilius Metellus Balearicus . It flourished under Roman rule, during which time the towns of Pollentia ( Alcúdia ), and Palmaria ( Palma ) were founded. In addition, the northern town of Bocchoris , dating back to pre-Roman times, was a federated city to Rome . The local economy was largely driven by olive cultivation, viticulture , and salt mining . Mallorcan soldiers were valued within

3240-517: The Torah scrolls and a reading desk. Netzer discovered the Roman Theatre just before his death in late 2010. The royal theatre was uncovered near the base of Herod's tomb (see Herod Family Tomb ). The theatre contained an elaborately decorated loggia, or a theatre box, was discovered. This means that when Herod or other notable officials went to see a play, they would receive luxury treatment. The rest of

3321-629: The War of Spanish Succession was the conquest of the island of Mallorca. It took place on 2 July 1715 when the island capitulated to the arrival of a Bourbon fleet. In 1716, the Nueva Planta decrees made Mallorca part of the Spanish province of Baleares, roughly the same to present-day Illes Balears province and autonomous community. A Nationalist stronghold at the start of the Spanish Civil War , Mallorca

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3402-494: The artifacts would be returned to the Palestinians after the exhibition. The site is in Area C of the West Bank, under full Israeli control. The Israel Museum cited the Oslo Accords as giving Israel a right to perform archaeology in the territories and said they will return it to the West Bank when the exhibition has ended. In analyzing the controversy, Morag Kersel states that the site is regulated by Israeli military orders,

3483-622: The audience would be seated below on benches that could accommodate about 450–650 people. What is quite unique about this find is that frescoes of landscapes were discovered, of a kind suggesting that the painters were well travelled; they depict scenes of Italy and even the Nile River in Egypt. It is also assumed that the painters were on loan to Herod from Caesar in Rome . Hebrew University professor Ehud Netzer reported on 8 May 2007 that he had discovered

3564-484: The capital of the autonomous region of the Balearic Islands . Palma has a famous tourist attraction, the cathedral, Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca, standing in the heart of the City looking out over the sea. Mallorca has a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen : Csa ), with mild and relatively wet winters and hot, bright, dry summers. Precipitation in the Serra de Tramuntana is markedly higher. Summers are hot in

3645-405: The city's History museum. Thanks to the parking lot and road built next to the castle, it currently welcomes a great number of visitors. The main yard is the seat to many different public ceremonies, such as protocol and cultural acts, and concerts. Due to its location and visibility from the sea or any other point of the city, it has become one of the city's symbols. The surrounding forest encloses

3726-405: The connection to the mainland has been severed at the current sea level. The limestones, which predominate throughout Mallorca, are readily water-soluble, and have given rise to extensive areas of karst . In addition to limestone, dolomitic rocks are mainly present in the mountainous regions of Mallorca; the Serra de Tramuntana and the Serres de Llevant. The Serres de Llevant also contain marl ,

3807-422: The dwarf goat-antelope Myotragus balearicus , the giant dormouse Hypnomys morpheus , and the shrew Nesiotites hidalgo , all three of which had been continuously present on Mallorca for over 5 million years. The island's prehistoric settlements are called talaiots or talayots . The people of the islands raised Bronze Age megaliths as part of their Talaiotic culture . A non-exhaustive list of settlements

3888-463: The exhibition to the historical plunder of archaeological treasures by former colonial powers. Some Israeli commentators have argued that, such excavations of, and removal of material from, sites in the Palestinian territories go beyond what is permitted to an occupying power such as Israel. One Israeli archaeologist, Yonathan Mizrachi, in an article co-written with Yigal Bronner, stated that, 'Since Herodion and Herod's palaces in Jericho are located in

3969-417: The introduction of artillery, the battlements on the top balconies and the barbican disappeared, being soon followed by those in every tower; loopholes were built instead. The castle originally served as a residence for the Kings of Mallorca after the conquest of Majorca from the Almohad Caliphate Taifa of Majorca , whenever they were not staying in mainland Europe, and was subsequently seldom used as

4050-475: The island completely by 12 September. Those events became known as the Battle of Majorca . Since the 1950s, the advent of mass tourism has transformed the island into a destination for foreign visitors and attracted many service workers from mainland Spain. The boom in tourism caused Palma to grow significantly. In the 21st century, urban redevelopment, under the so‑called Pla Mirall (English "Mirror Plan"), attracted groups of immigrant workers from outside

4131-424: The island was increasingly attacked by Muslim raiders from North Africa. Recurrent invasions led the islanders to ask Charlemagne for help. In 902, Issam al-Khawlani ( Arabic : عصام الخولاني ) conquered the Balearic Islands , and they became part of the Emirate of Córdoba . The town of Palma was reshaped and expanded, and became known as Medina Mayurqa. Later on, with the Caliphate of Córdoba at its height,

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4212-423: The island, laying siege to Palma for eight months. After the city fell, the invaders retreated due to problems in their own lands. They were replaced by the Almoravides from North Africa, who ruled until 1176. The Almoravides were replaced by the Almohad dynasty until 1229. Abu Yahya was the last Moorish leader of Mallorca. In the ensuing confusion and unrest, King James I of Aragon , also known as James

4293-418: The lordship or Bellver Castle. Being an enclosed site, since the end of the 14th century it was used as a prison, firstly to hold Queen Violante of Vilaragut , her stepchildren James and Isabella and other supporters of King James III of Mallorca after his death in the Battle of Llucmajor in 1349. During the War of Spanish Succession it was used to imprison first supporters of Philip of Anjou , and after

4374-449: The lower palace, at the base of the hill. Herod the Great built a palace within the fortress of Herodium. Herod himself commissioned a lavish palace to be built between 23 and 15 BCE atop Herodium for all to see. The palace itself consisted of four towers of seven stories, a bathhouse, courtyards, a Roman theatre, banquet rooms, a large walkway ("the course"), as well as extravagant living quarters for himself and guests. Once Herod died and

4455-447: The more rapid erosion of which has resulted in the lower elevations of the island's southeastern mountains. Marl is limestone with a high proportion of clay minerals . The eroded material was washed into the sea or deposited in the interior of the island of the Pla de Mallorca, bright marls in the north-east of the island and ferrous clays in the middle of Mallorca, which gives the soil its characteristic reddish colour. Mallorca features

4536-444: The nearby Majorca Museum. The capital of Mallorca, Palma, was founded as a Roman camp called Palmaria upon the remains of a Talaiotic settlement. The turbulent history of the city had it subject to several Vandal sackings during the fall of the Western Roman Empire . It was later reconquered by the Byzantines , established by the Moors (who called it Medina Mayurqa), and finally occupied by James I of Aragon . In 1983, Palma became

4617-425: The northwestern and eastern parts of the island respectively. The highest peak in Mallorca is Puig Major , at 1,445 m (4,741 ft), in the Serra de Tramuntana. As this is a military zone, the neighbouring peak at Puig de Massanella is the highest accessible peak at 1,364 m (4,475 ft). The northeast coast comprises two bays: the Badia de Pollença and the larger Badia d'Alcúdia. The northern coast

4698-485: The plains, and winters are mild, getting colder and wetter in the Tramuntana range, where brief episodes of snow during the winter are not unusual, especially in the Puig Major . The two wettest months in Mallorca are October and November. Storms and heavy rain are not uncommon during the autumn. Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands are geologically an extension of the fold mountains of the Betic Cordillera of Andalusia . They consist primarily of sediments deposited in

4779-419: The ring, media published that it could have possibly belonged to Pontius Pilate . Archaeologist Roi Porat said that all explanations are equally possible for the owner of the ring: "It was important to publish a careful scientific article, but in practice we have a ring inscribed with the name Pilate and the personal connection just cries out." While much of the debate has focused on the Greek name inscribed on

4860-466: The ring, the image is of equal significance and may further support that this was the ring used by Pilate's administrative assistant for sealing documents for Pilate. The image on the ring is possibly associated with Roman religious ceremonies (i.e., suovetaurilia , bacchanalia ) and the imperial cult that were characteristic of the images on the coins that Pilate had minted during his term as governor. In February 2013 an exhibit dedicated to Herod at

4941-448: The site in Biblical Researches in Palestine as Herodium based on the description found in Josephus . Josephus described a palace fortress and a small town, named after Herod the Great , built between 23 and 15 BCE. A sarcophagus discovered in 2007 was claimed to belong to Herod as it was more ornate than others found in the area. The modern English name is a transliteration of the Greek spelling ( Ancient Greek : Ἡρώδειον ). This

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5022-408: The southern and western coasts; the Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Mallorca (in the municipality of Palma), while Dragonara is administratively included in the municipality of Andratx. Other notable areas include the Alfabia Mountains , Es Cornadors and Cap de Formentor . The Cap de Formentor is one of the places where the tourists can enjoy the pleasure of its beach which

5103-488: The stables of the city's Mounted Peelers . There is also a chapel dedicated to Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez , built between 1879 and 1885. The Sunday following Easter Sunday, the citizens gather at the forest and the castle for the celebration of the Diumenge de l'Àngel . Herodium Herodion ( Ancient Greek : Ἡρώδειον ; Arabic : هيروديون ; Hebrew : הרודיון ), Herodium ( Latin ), or Jabal al-Fureidis ( Arabic : جبل فريديس , lit.   '"Mountain of

5184-456: The territories that Israel occupied in 1967, they are—according to international law, the codes of ethics for the preservation of antiquities, and even the Oslo Accords—supposedly under Palestinian control and responsibility.' The Israel Museum's director, James S. Snyder initially stated that the items from Herodium would be returned to the West Bank after the exhibition, "in better condition than before", but later clarified that this did not mean

5265-403: The tomb base a small 450-seat capacity (see Theatre ). Netzer died in October 2010 from injuries sustained from a fall at the site, and access to the mausoleum was subsequently blocked to the public pending review of the site's safety. In October 2013, archaeologists Joseph Patrich and Benjamin Arubas challenged the identification of the tomb as that of Herod. According to Patrich and Arubas,

5346-439: The tomb is too modest to be Herod's and has several unlikely features. Roi Porat, who replaced Netzer as excavation leader after the latter's death, stood by the identification. Fragments of three stone sarcophagi were found near the mausoleum: one of them was reddish and the other two light-colored. The reddish sarcophagus, decorated in a sumptuous but restrained style, was identified by the excavators as Herod's sarcophagus. It

5427-491: The tomb of Herod with his team of archeologists, above tunnels and water pools at a flattened site halfway up the hill to the hilltop palace-fortress of Herodium, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of Jerusalem. Later excavations strengthened the idea that this site is Herod's mausoleum. The base of the tomb has now been uncovered and is visible to visitors to the site. His team consisted of Roi Porat, Yakov Kalman and Rachel Chachy-Laureys. The 2009–2010 excavations uncovered near

5508-429: The tourism business has become the main source of revenue for the island. The island's popularity as a tourist destination has steadily grown since the 1950s, with many artists and academics choosing to visit and live on the island. The number of visitors to Mallorca continued to increase with holiday makers in the 1970s approaching 3 million a year. In 2010 over 6 million visitors came to Mallorca. In 2013, Mallorca

5589-415: The walls and constructing a mikveh outside the entrance. There is minimal evidence regarding any alterations made by the defenders to the existing decor or furnishings, and the space essentially functioned as a simple communal hall. The entrance faced eastward, while Jerusalem lay almost due north. The repurposed synagogue lacked specialized features commonly found in synagogues, such as a niche for housing

5670-516: The walls to conduct heat. The tepidarium had mosaic floors and frescoes just like the living quarters of the palace. The frigidarium, the last stop in the bathhouse, was where guests would cool off in a large pool. During the First Jewish–Roman War , the defenders of Herodium repurposed an existing structure within the upper palace as a synagogue , considered one of the earliest in the Levant. The original space, formerly Herod's triclinium , underwent renovations that involved installing benches along

5751-428: The way, at the location of Herodion, Herod clashed with Jews loyal to his enemy Antigonus, and emerged victorious. According to the Roman Jewish historian Josephus , he "built a town on that spot in commemoration of his victory, and enhanced it with wonderful palaces... and he called it Herodion after himself". Josephus describes Herodium as follows: This fortress, which is some sixty stadia distant from Jerusalem,

5832-538: Was a pioneer of tourism in the Balearic Islands. He first arrived on the island in 1867, travelling under his title "Count of Neuendorf". He later settled in Mallorca, buying up wild areas of land in order to preserve and enjoy them. Nowadays, a number of hiking routes are named after him. Ludwig Salvator loved the island of Mallorca. He became fluent in Catalan, carried out research into the island's flora and fauna, history, and culture to produce his main work, Die Balearen ,

5913-556: Was begun in 1962 by Virgilio Canio Corbo and Stanislao Loffreda , from the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum of Jerusalem , and it continued until 1967: they discovered the upper citadel, at the top of the hill. From 1972, excavations were carried out by Ehud Netzer , working on behalf of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem , and they were intermittent until the archaeologist's death in 2010. Netzer excavated mostly

5994-472: Was channeled into the palace. In the midst of the First Jewish–Roman War , the defenders of Herodium transformed Herod's triclinium into a synagogue. Herodium was conquered and destroyed by the Romans in 71 CE. At the beginning of the Bar Kokhba revolt sixty years later, Simon bar Kokhba declared Herodium as his secondary headquarters. The fortress was commanded by Yeshua ben Galgula , who

6075-527: Was considered one of the greatest builders of his time and was not daunted by geography—his palace was built on the edge of the desert and was situated atop an artificial hill. The largest of the four towers was built on a stone base 18 meters in diameter. This was most likely where Herod lived; he decorated his rooms with mosaic floors and elaborate frescoes . The other three towers, which consisted of living spaces and storage, were 16 meters in diameter. Outside, several cisterns were built to collect water that

6156-483: Was found smashed into hundreds of pieces. Scholars suggested that this sarcophagus held the king's body and was destroyed by Jewish rebels during the Jewish–Roman war. The sarcophagus is displayed today at the Israel Museum . In 1968–1969, during excavations directed by archaeologist Gideon Foerster, at a section of Herod's burial tomb and palace hundreds of artifacts were found, including a copper alloy ring. The ring

6237-499: Was likely in Bar Kokhba's second or third line of command. Archaeological evidence for the revolt was found all over the site, from the outside buildings to the water system under the mountain. Inside the water system, supporting walls built by the rebels were discovered, and another system of caves was found. Inside one of the caves, burned wood was found which was dated to the time of the revolt. The archaeological excavation of Herodium

6318-469: Was overlooked but in 2018 it was given a thorough laboratory cleaning and scholarly examination. At the center of the ring is an engraved krater , or amphora similar in style to the monumental urn (handleless amphorae or acroteria ) of Herodium which is encircled by "partly deformed" Greek letters spelling out "of Pilates" in Greek. Although scientists were not sure about who is the "Pilates" mentioned on

6399-638: Was subjected to an amphibious landing, on 16 August 1936, aimed at driving the Nationalists from Mallorca and reclaiming the island for the Republic . Although the Republicans heavily outnumbered their opponents and managed to push 12 km (7.5 mi) inland, superior Nationalist air power, provided mainly by Fascist Italy as part of the Italian occupation of Majorca , forced the Republicans to retreat and to leave

6480-571: Was then hypercorrected to Mallorca by central Catalan scribes, which later came to be accepted as the standard spelling. The Balearic Islands were first colonised by humans during the 3rd millennium BC , around 2500–2300 BC from the Iberian Peninsula or southern France, by people associated with the Bell Beaker culture . The arrival of humans resulted in the rapid extinction of the three species of terrestrial mammals native to Mallorca,

6561-421: Was visited by nearly 9.5 million tourists, and the Balearic Islands as a whole reached 13 million tourists. In 2017, ten million tourists visited the island. The rapid growth of the tourism industry has led to some locals protesting the effects of mass tourism on the island. Mallorca has been jokingly referred to as the 17th Federal State of Germany, due to the high number of German tourists. Due to

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